The US Congress has reached a budget deal, narrowly averting a shutdown of the
federal government that would have suspended pay for nearly a million public
sector workers and left zoos, national parks and the Statue of Liberty
closed to the public.

After three days of round-the-clock negotiations and a minute-by-minute
countdown towards Friday’s midnight deadline, exhausted leaders from both
main parties announced a deal involving $78 billion in cuts from President
Obama’s proposed 2011 budget.

“Tomorrow, I’m pleased to announce that the Washington Monument, as well as
the entire federal government, will be open for business,” Mr Obama said